Maroon 5’s racy Super Bowl show

Rock-pop group Maroon 5 headlined this year's Super Bowl halftime show, with a crowd-pleasing set of hits from across their near two-decade career.

Frontman Adam Levine started the set in an all-black outfit he slowly peeled off over the ensuing show, ending up shirtless and writhing on stage by the band's big finale.

Tatt’s entertainment. Picture: Getty

And as many on social media were keen to point out, Levine's on-stage strip show comes 15 years after pop icon Janet Jackson suffered an immense career backlash when one of her breasts was briefly partially exposed at the end of her 2004 Super Bowl halftime performance.

Janet Jackson is wondering why this Maroon 5 dude is allowed to strip at the Super Bowl

During their set, Maroon 5 were joined by special guests Travis Scott (who performed a brief, heavily censored rendition of his hit Sicko Mode before stage diving backward off the stage) and rap legend Big Boi (who smashed out the Outkast classic The Way You Move).

But rumoured surprise guest Christina Aguilera was a no-show, despite Maroon 5 finishing with their duet Moves Like Jagger. Instead, viewers saw a brief cameo from Spongebob Squarepants during a mid-set video interlude.

Levine performs. Picture: AP

The verdict? It was a very enjoyable Maroon 5 concert, but light on the jaw-dropping spectacle we've seen from the likes of Lady Gaga or Katy Perry in recent years. No death-defying leaps from the top of the stadium or hilarious 'left shark' dancers here. Instead, fans watched a whole lot of pyrotechnics and one unifying moment as drones lit up the sky to spell the words 'ONE LOVE' above the stadium during the band's performance of hit She Will Be Loved.

MAROON 5: THE SETLIST

Harder to Breathe

This Love

Sicko Mode (with Travis Scott)

Girls Like You

She Will Be Loved

The Way You Move (with Big Boi)

Sugar

Moves Like Jagger

RAPPER'S REFUSAL

Cardi B turned down an offer to perform today. Picture: Getty

Cardi B says she received an offer to perform at the Super Bowl, but struggled with the decision to turn down the lucrative opportunity in support of ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

The Grammy-nominated rapper told The Associated Press that she had "mixed feelings" after she declined to take the stage at Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta. She said it was a hard decision since her husband, rapper Offset, loves to watch football, but she felt obligated to "stand behind" Kaepernick because he "stood up" for minorities.

"My husband, he loves football. His kids play football. It's really hard for him. … He really wants to go to the Super Bowl, but he can't go to the Super Bowl, because he's got to stand for something," said Cardi B, who is nominated for five Grammys. She is competing for both album and record of the year. "You have to sacrifice that," she added.

"I got to sacrifice a lot of money to perform. But there's a man who sacrificed his job for us, so we got to stand behind him." Kaepernick helped start a wave of protests by kneeling during the US national anthem to raise awareness to police brutality, racial inequality and other social issues.

His efforts ignited a political firestorm over whether social justice needs to be addressed at the NFL's marquee event.

Some, including Rihanna and Pink, have reportedly turned down offers to perform during this year's half-time.

In a recent song, Jay-Z alluded to declining to perform at the Super Bowl, and Amy Schumer refused to appear in a TV ad during the game.